Time for You to Shine at A Bouquet of Talent #36

Once again, it's time to party and show off your latest and greatest!  Every week there is so much inspiration!  I am working on pinning every link from the last two parties.  If I haven't made to your post yet, I will get there.  That is one way I can say thank you so much for sharing each week!  I appreciate it so much.  
It's amazing how quickly the weather changes when you live in the south!  We have gone from pleasant temperatures to almost 90 degrees today.  It sure felt like it, too!  My yard is calling for my immediate attention, but it's going to have to wait one more weekend.  I have so enjoyed all of your gorgeous and inspiring outdoor photos of flowers and decor!  You've definitely encouraged me to get busy!   I can't wait to show you some photos of my Jasmine.  It is in full bloom, and the fragrance is amazing every night.  It must be our wacky and unusual temperatures around here, because it is blooming much earlier this year.  

If you missed the big double feature of the Pick of the Bunch Fabulous Features, you can check that post out here.  Since I skipped a week of getting that post done, I am including the most viewed links from both parties, which are sure to inspire!



Most Viewed Link last week's party:

Precious Diane from An Extraordinary Day is amazing!  Her Container Garden was the most viewed from last week's party.  You don't want to miss her gorgeous photos and great tutorial to create your own container garden.  Congratulations, Diane, for having the most viewed link.  Thank you so much for sharing your awesome talent with us each week!  I am headed to the nursery next week.  

Most Viewed from A Bouquet of Talent #34!

Another amazing lady who always inspires me is Debbie from Debbie-Dabble!  She had the most viewed link from the party before last.  You have to check out her gorgeous garden photos and garden decor.  Congrats, Debbie, for having the most viewed link.  Thank you so much for sharing your awesome talent with us each week!  

Don't forget to link up to these awesome parties this week!

                  

Pick of the Bunch Fabulous Features Times Two #34 & #35

I hope you are all having a wonderful Saturday!  Today's features are a biggie, because I wasn't able to add the features from last week's party!  It's that time of the year.  Super exciting to be one week away from my summer vacation, but more to do than can be crammed into that week.  The first and last week of school are always the toughest.  I am so looking forward to getting caught up with all of you, my sweet friends.

For the past two years, I have avoided the dreaded news that I have to move my classroom.  I wasn't so lucky this year.  I finally got the official word Thursday, that my classroom is headed upstairs!  That is a lot of stairs to climb daily!  SIGH   I just keep telling myself I will definitely get my daily exercise.  I'm really trying to see the positive, because I have (had)  the best classroom in the whole school.  No more glorious Cherry Blossom trees outside my window every spring! So I am trying to pack up my classroom while keeping over-excited students under control!!  They actually are a huge help.  I always hate saying goodbye to my babies that I've had for a year. 

So onto our Pick of the Bunch Fabulous Features for the last two weeks!  You can check out all of the awesome links at Pick of the Bunch #34 and Pick of the Bunch #35!  
Please grab a feature button at the bottom of the post if you were featured.  
Beautiful & DIY Inspirational Features:
Patti at Old Things New took this table from drab to amazing!!  I love it.  

I love this fabulous chair makeover using homemade chalk paint by twelve-O-eight!

I love everything about the Shabby Gypsy's gorgeous cottage seaside room!  That chair is amazing.  

I love this gorgeous and inspiring palescape vignette by Rosemary & Thyme.

I love this fabulous upcycled cake stand by Evocative Vintage.  

  Cindy at Classic~Casual~Southern Style has been busy creating beautiful decor with old doors!   The photo above used a door cut in half, and the one below is her gorgeous new headboard.  Love, love, love!!!
Love this beautiful new headboard!     Linda at With a Blast never ceases to amaze me with her awesome talent!  Check out here fabulous makeover for these cabinets.   Outdoor Living Inspiration Features:
How awesome is this planting station by Chores & Chandliers?  Wow, I love it!  Check out the great tutorial.

The Shady Porch shared a great tutorial to make this adorable Gourd Birdhouse.  
Just when I think Penny at Penny's Vintage Home can't out-do herself, she does it again!  Check out her fabulous cottage trailer complete with its own duck pond!  I love that pink door.  
Delicious & Yummy Features:
I seriously could eat chicken salad for every meal, and this Chicken Salad with Apples and Cranberries by Who Needs a Cape? looks amazing!  YUMMY
Check out these yummy  Strawberry/Cherry Nobake Vanilla Waffer Cheesecake Bites by Creative Ideas and Tips!
This Strawberry Shortbread Pie created by My Sweet Mission looks fabulous!  
Willamette Valley Wonderwoman created these yummy Baked Zucchini Boats.

  How perfect is this DIY Del's  Frozen Soft-Serve Lemonade for those approaching hot summer temperatures by Soliloquy of Food & Such?



Please grab a button if you were featured! 


<a href="http://lifeonlakeshoredrive.blogspot.com/" title="Life on Lakeshore Drive"><img alt="Life on Lakeshore Drive"src="http://i1154.photobucket.com/albums/p527/kmoo63/blogbutPickofBunch.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a></div>
Thank you so much for sharing your awesome talent with us this week!  I hope to see you soon at the party!  Have a wonderful, crafty and creative weekend! 

Bloglovin' and Facebook Blog Hop #9

Welcome to bloglovin' and blog hopping Thursday once again!  We are so happy to be joining together to bring you the  bloglovin' Blog Hop to help grow our blogs.   It's always a great idea to have many ways for friends to follow your blog. 
Each week we rotate one other social media to follow.  This week we are adding your blog and Facebook along with bloglovin'!  Friends can hop on over to visit your blog.   
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us last week.  We hope you made some new friends! 

Please follow each hostess, and leave us a comment so we can return the follow!   Please follow you hostesses and visit other at least 3 or 4 other links!  

We would love to feature a co-host each week, so please send one of us an email if you would like to be a co-host.  We would love for you to join us!

Please link up your bloglovin' follow link.  To find your URL, just click on your follow by bloglovin' button.  Copy and past the URL link.  That's all there is to it!  

Thank you so much for joining us!  We hope you make many new friends and followers each week.  

Not mandatory, but we would love for you to share our blog hop button.    That's a great way for us to all gain new friends. 

  Hostesses:

                                                          

Becky @ Your Modern Family                            Doreen @  HouseHoneys  

                                                                       

                                          

 Kathe @ Kathe with an E                                      Kathy @ Life on Lakeshore Drive     

                                               

Suzan @ Simply Vintageous                                      Tammy @ One More Time Events   

Chevron and Emperor's Silk Chalk Paint Bench Makeover

Today I am sharing my bench makeover.  This bench has been sitting behind my couch for months now.  My daughter originally bought this for her room at an estate sale.  In the meantime, she bought a vanity for her room and decided she didn't want the bench.  It was in excellent condition, but needed a fabric update.  
I am still looking for the perfect dresser or entry table to makeover for this spot behind my couch.  Until I find that perfect piece, this bench works great there.  My daughter was with me when I picked out the fabric.  I wasn't positive I wanted to go with such a busy fabric, but it matched my Emperor's Silk Chalk Paint table perfectly.  It also definitely gave a pop of color to the dark couch.  

Here is the bench before the makeover.  If the fabric hadn't been so faded, I probably would have left it the way we bought it.  I still haven't added the buttons to the bench, yet.  I am still debating on the major task.  

To keep the legs from blending in with my brown couch, I decided to do a dry paint and wax brush using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor's Silk.  I am amazed at the amount of projects I have finished using that one can of paint, and there is still paint left.  It may be more expensive, but it goes a very long way.  

Mr. Ed loves nothing better than to start a new project.  He is always so much help as you can see!  

I am still working on getting the perfect setting on my new camera.  One of my top priorities for my summer vacation which starts in less than two weeks!!   I wanted some of the brown to show through the paint, so I poured a small amount of paint on a piece of wax paper.  I mixed Annie Sloan clear wax with the paint and very sparingly brushed it on.   I only added one coat, and let it dry overnight.  

Here is the bottom of the seat after I recovered it.  It was a pain to pull all of those buttons out.  I didn't want to damage them in case I decide to use them later on the bench.

 

Here is a close up of the legs after I gave them a light coat of paint.  I didn't want too much red with the busy fabric. 

The hardest part of using the chevron print was to make sure I had it perfectly straight.  The corners are not perfect, but that's the best I could do without pulling out the needle and thread.  

After months of looking at this unfinished project, I am so glad I can mark it off my to-do list.      I have just enough fabric left to make a few chevron pillows for some chairs that are near the bench.  Chevron is definitely the way to go if you want to give a bold look to a lifeless piece of furniture.  It definitely catches your eye the minute you walk in the door.  

The bench makeover totally wore Mr. Ed out.  Nothing better than a nap after completing a project.  :)  
Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my new bench.  I always love your visits, and your comments make my day!  Have a wonderful week!  
Click here for Party Page Buttons    Linking to these awesome parties:  One More Time   Kathe with an E Transformed Tuesday  Pretty Things    Manic Monday  All My Bloggy Friends  Nifty Thrifty Tuesday      Tell Me Tuesday Share It Linky  Tuesdays at our Home  Tasteful Tuesday  Wow Me Wednesday  Wow Us Wednesday   Creative Spark   Lil' Luna  Terrific Tuedays  Homework Wednesday  Gathering Spot    Creative Muster  Time to Shine   How-to Tuesday                              Memories by the Mile  Teach Me Tuesday  Tutorial Tuesday  Crafty Tuesday  Tuesday Talent Show  Handmade by You  Welcome Home Wednesday    Home & Garden Thursday  Link it Up Thursday   Your Creative Timeout  I Gotta Create  Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits  Share Your Cup  Crafty Soiree  Live Laugh Linky  Thriving on Thursday  Real Family Fun               Rock 'n Share  Wicked Awesome Wednesday  Family Home & Life  Polka Dots on Parade  Wed. Whatsits                         Riverton Housewives  Create & Share  Not Done Growing  Beyond the Picket Fence  Thursday Favorite Things  Thursday's Treasures  Blog Stalkin Thursday  Artsy Corner  Inspiration Gallery  Creative Inspirations  Weekend Re-treat  Simply & Sweet Fridays  Home Sweet Home  Happy Hour Friday  Feathered Nest Friday  Keep Calm & Link Up                Weekend Wonders  Frugalicious Friday  Freedom Friday  Kitchen Fun  No Rules Weekend  What to do Weekends              Be Inspired  Redoux  I love Fridays  The Humble Brag    Inspire Me Fridays  Pin Junkie  Chic & Crafty  Tickled Pink  Wowza Weekend  Catch as Catch Can  Strut Your Stuff  Share Your Creativity  Get Schooled Saturday                                  Lovely Crafty Weekend  Super Saturday  Crafty Showcase  Saturday Sparks  Hello Weekend  Show & Tell Saturday             One Sharendipity Place  Serenity Saturday  Sunday Showoff  Nifty Thrifty  Sunday Scoop  Think Pink Sunday               Submarine Sunday  Raising Imperfection

Share Your Creations at A Bouquet of Talent Linky Party #35

Welcome to the party, friends!!  I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  A very special Happy Mother's Day to you wonderful mothers!  I haven't had time to get the Pick of the Bunch finished!  I will post those tomorrow!  
I have had a wonderful day with my precious daughter and hubby!  My daughter has to work tomorrow after church, so she celebrated Mother's Day with me today.   Tomorrow I get to celebrate again with my son.  
This is an extra special Mother's Day for me, because we finally received my mother's results from her scan. It is contained to just the one node, and they found nothing else!  It was such a relief to get that wonderful news after almost a month of waiting!   It was most definitely an answer to prayers.    Thank you so much for yours prayers!!  I also visited with my mother and my mother-in-love today!  
 Thank you so much for partying at A Bouquet of Talent each week.  Check back tomorrow for those Pick of the Bunch features!!

Most Viewed Link last week:

Createinspire had the most viewed link last with her awesome Drawer Planter Boxes!  What an awesome and creative project.  I know they have been a hit on so many blogs this week, because I have seen these beauties featured everywhere!  Congrats, Lisa, for having the most viewed link!  



Don't forget to link up to these awesome parties this week!

                  

Blog Hop Time Bloglovin' and Pinterest

Welcome to bloglovin' and blog hopping Thursday once again!  We are so happy to be joining together to bring you the  bloglovin' Blog Hop to help grow our blogs.   It's always a great idea to have many ways for friends to follow your blog. 
Each week we rotate one other social media to follow.  This week we are adding your blogs and Pinterest along with bloglovin'!  Friends can hop on over to visit your blog.   
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us last week.  We hope you made some new friends! 

Please follow each hostess, and leave us a comment so we can return the follow!   Please follow you hostesses and visit other at least 3 or 4 other links!  

We would love to feature a co-host each week, so please send one of us an email if you would like to be a co-host.  We would love for you to join us!

Please link up your bloglovin' follow link.  To find your URL, just click on your follow by bloglovin' button.  Copy and past the URL link.  That's all there is to it!  

Thank you so much for joining us!  We hope you make many new friends and followers each week.  

Not mandatory, but we would love for you to share our blog hop button.    That's a great way for us to all gain new friends. 

                           Hostesses:

                                                          

Becky @ Your Modern Family                            Doreen @  HouseHoneys  

                                                                       

                                          

 Kathe @ Kathe with an E                                      Kathy @ Life on Lakeshore Drive     

                                               

Suzan @ Simply Vintageous                                      Tammy @ One More Time Events   

                                   Guest Hostess:   Deanna @ Gloriously Made

              

Please make sure you link your bloglovin' URL link in the first section,  your blog in the second, and your Google+ URL in the last section.   It makes it so much faster for your new friends to find you!